Lighter.



C. GANZ.

LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILEDy Nov. 1s. 1912.

Pmnted Feb. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

c. GANZ.

LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13, 1912.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcF..

CHARLES GANZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 TREIBACHER CHEMISCHE WERKE GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG, OF TREIBACH, AUSTRIA- HUNGARY, A CORPORATION OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.`

LIGHTER.

companying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in lighters and particularly to improvements in lighters in which is used a spark-giving alloy, sometimes called pyrophoric metal; and

' an object of this invention is to provide a lighter of this type which will be certain in its action.

Another object of thisinvention is to provide a lighter of this type which will be siniple in construction` comparatively cheap in manufacture and etlicientand durable in operation and use and which will require practically no expense for upkeep or repairs.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the lighter, the parts being shown in assembled relation; Fig. 2 is an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow A of Fig.

l; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line B-B of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a perspective View showing one manner of use of the device; Fig. is a detail illustrative of the carrierpin; Fig. 6 is a detail in elevation of the vapor-collecting guide-tube; Fig. '7 is adetail of the wad-holder; Fig. 8 is a detail in plan of the strip from which the wad is formed; Fig. 9 is a detail of the ahrader-pin or spark-producer; Fig. 10 is a detail in perspective of the alloy-receiver (or alloyholder) Fig. 11 is adetail in perspective of the stick of alloy.

The body portion of the device is in the form of a small can or reservoir a the top'of which is closed by a cover-plate Z) having a centrally-disposed opening or mouth c the wall of which is formed by an inwardly-projecting rim-flange or annular lip 0l screwthreaded on its interior. 4On the outside of this annular lip d is suitably mounted the upper end of a vapor-collecting tube e the inner or lower end of which is formed with holes f designed to allow the vapor to pass from the absorbentl material, such as cotton Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feuer, 1914.

Application filed November 13, 1912. Serial No. 731,045# l g, contained in the can a and surrounding the tube e, as shown in Fi 1. This absorbent material is maintainedv saturated with a suitable hydrocarbon oil, preferably high-grade benzin, gasolene or naphtha.

The outer end of the carrier-pin h is in theform of a head i which serves as a lingerhold (Fig. 4) and which is formed with an annular flange i just below which are screwthreads j adapted to engage the screwthreads 7; formed on the interior of the annularlwall d Eof the mouth or opening c. By two-thirds'of a turn of the carrier-pin h, engagement is made between the same and the annular wall (Z of the mouth c of the can, thereby tightly closing the latter and preventing the escape of the vapor, as well as locking the carrier-pin 71. securely in place. A

The body portion or shank of the carrier-pin li is conical in form to facilitate its ready insertion inv the can a; and the inner o1' torch end of the carrier pin is formed with a socket 11, into which is driven the buttend of the abrader-pin 0. VJust above its lower end 'or torch-end the carrier-pin h is exteriorly threaded at p and is thereby adapted to engage with the threaded end of the wad-holder 9, which is formed with prongs or claws r adapted to hold securely the wad s.' This wad is made out of suitable material, such as asbestos, and is preferably rolled from a strip t, which is shown in detail in Fig. 8. This strip is slitted in Aorder to make it more absorbent; and, when the stripis rolled and pressed into the form of a wad, its central opening v11, is somewhat larger in diameter than the diameter of the abrader-pin 0. To one side of the can a is suitably fastened an alloy-holder c which is in the`form of a channel adapted to receive the stick of spark-giving alloy w shown in Fig. l1. i

The wad-holder g and the wad s held by the same constitute in reality a sort of torch, which is substantially frusto-conical i in shape. This shape has thel advantage,

among others, that the oil-soaked wad is not undisturbed in the grip of the claws 11, until it is Worn out andbecomes useless, whereupon the claws are opened, a new wad is substituted for the one worn-out and the claws again are bent firmly into gripping position. Y

An important feature of this invention resides in the working-end of the abrader o.

It is to be noted that this end is integral with the body of the abrader and is provided with an edge 0', which in Fig. 9 is shown as being formed by undercutting the end 0f the abrader so that it is substantially frustoconical in form. In this way the workingend of the abrader o is given a sharp edge, which does not readily become dull by use. It is to be noted that since the tip end or workingend of the abrader is integral with the body portion thereof, no fastening devices vkare needed to fasten the tip end to the body of the abrader; and from this it results that the working tip end of the abrader or spark-producing element is free from obstructions to its effective operation. The abrader is preferably of hardened heatresisting metal and is durable, retaining its sharp edge. The substantially frusto-conical shape of the abrader-head o affords suflicient body to prevent breaking away or `be retained and the device may chipping oill in use.

The smaller end of the` Wad-holder g is opposed to the smaller end of the sparkproducer o and the torch formed by the wad 's and its holder g extends -laterally beyond the base or larger end of the spark-producer so that the torch'intercepts the sparks and certainty of ignition is insured.

The receptacle part or body a of the can or box a is drawn into shape and is, there- "fore, a single piece of metal without seams,

crevices or slots and is thus made vaportight so that the vapor of the hydrocarbon oil with which the cotton g is saturated will be used for a long time without the necessity'of replenishing the supply' of hydrocarbon.

There are at the top of the carrier-pin h a'plurality of screw-threads y' each of which isV independent of the others and (in the particular example given) makes twothirds of a turn, so arranged that it requires only two-thirds of a turn to fasten the carrier-pin in place or to release the same. Obviously, if there were two threads each of one-half turn, only a half turn of the carrier-pin z, might be necessary in order to engage or release it from the box. This is an important feature of this invention, since it makes the device handy, convenient and rapid in use. The screw-threads k serve also to seal the Vmouth or opening c, when the carrier-pin is screwed intoplace.

It will be understood that` the centrallydisposed tube e serves as a receiver and guide-tube for the carrier-pin It, and keeps free an opening for the same in the mass of absorbent. material with which the inside of the can a is stuffed.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated one manner of use of the device. By giving the carrierpin 71. a part (two-thirds) of a turn, it will be loosened from the can a and may then be wiped lengthwise over the exposed face of the alloy w, the abrader o being held in a slanting position so as to bring the edge o thereof into tearing or scraping relation with the alloy. The sparks given off by the alloy will ignite the vapor of the hydrocarbon with which the absorbent wad s is saturated,whereupon alumin'ous torch-like flame is produced; indeed the carrier-pin it may be used after the manner of a torch, since the flame will persist for some time, depending in part upon the degree of saturation of the wad s.

I claim: y

1. In an igniter, a carrier-pin provided with a spark-producing element the working tip end of which is integral with the element and free from obstructions to its effective operation and is recessed to form a frustumshaped abrader the larger base of which has a scraping edge.

sparking element the head of which is re-4 cessed and is thereby formed with a tearing or scraping edge; a wad of absorbent material which is formed with an opening through which said sparking element extends and which extends laterally beyond the head of the latter and is thereby adapted to intercept the sparks produced by the scraping edge thereof; and wad-holding means. i

3. In an igniter, a carrier-pin having a sparking element the head of which is substantially frusto-conical and is formed at its outer end with a tearing or scraping edge; a wad of absorbent material which is formed with an opening through which said sparking element extends and which extends laterally beyond the head of the latter and is thereby adapted to intercept the sparks produced by the scraping edge thereof; and a substantially frusto-conical wad-holder; the smaller ends of said wad-holder and sparkin element being opposed.

igned at the borough 0f Manhattan, city, county and State of New York, this eleventh day of November, A. D. l1912, in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

CHARLES GANZ. Witnesses:

HENRY C. I-IoRoELLoN, BRUNO Gmsum. 

